Starships shot up into orbit postponed
The Starship system
Starship is an interplanetary space travel system consisting of a launch facility, the Super Heavy launch vehicle (stage 1) and
spaceship Starship (step 2). The whole system as well as the craft itself is called Starship. The system also includes a tower to capture Super Heavy upon re-entry.
Height: 120 meters.
Diameter: 9 meters.
Payload for LEO: 100+ tons.
Payload to the moon / March: 100+ tonnes (fully reusable) if refueled in orbit.
Starship Spacecraft
What: Reusable spacecraft for interplanetary travel. Comes in several versions, including one for people and one for cargo. The prototype version that is now to be launched is called SN20.
Height: 50 meters.
Diameter: 9 meters.
Propulsion: Previously, Starship had six Raptor engines, three sea level optimized and three vacuum optimized. But in December, Elon Musk announced on Twitter that the number has been increased to nine.
Fuel: Liquid methane and liquid oxygen.
Payload volume: 1,100 cubic meters.
Payload capacity: 100+ tons (with the launch vehicle Super Heavy)
The launch vehicle Super Heavy
What: Reusable launch vehicle to launch the Starship spacecraft into orbit. The prototype version that is now to be launched is called BN4.
Height: 70 meters.
Diameter: 9 meters.
Propulsion: 29 Raptor motors. The final version will have 32 or 33 engines.
Driving force: 72 meganewtons, with the goal of reaching 76.
Fuel: Liquid methane and liquid oxygen.
Fuel capacity: 3 400 tons.
The Raptor rocket engine
What: Spacex’s proprietary rocket engine used on both the Super Heavy launch vehicle and the Starship spacecraft. It is available in two variants, the standard variant with a smaller nozzle adapted to start at sea level and one with a larger nozzle for operation in vacuum.
Bike: Full flow stepped combustion cycle.
Fuel: Liquid methane and liquid oxygen.
Traction: About 2 meganewtons, with the goal of increasing to 2.3.
Combustion chamber pressure: So far 270 bar with the target 300 bar.